Fansided

FanDuel MLB lineup and picks for Friday, May 25

By Adam Strangis

WASHINGTON, DC - OCTOBER 12: Washington Nationals starting pitcher Max Scherzer (31) pitches in relief during game five of the NLDS between the Washington Nationals and the Chicago Cubs on October 12, 2017, at Nationals Park, in Washington D.C. Chicago Cubs defeated the Washington Nationals 9-8.(Photo by Tony Quinn/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - OCTOBER 12: Washington Nationals starting pitcher Max Scherzer (31) pitches in relief during game five of the NLDS between the Washington Nationals and the Chicago Cubs on October 12, 2017, at Nationals Park, in Washington D.C. Chicago Cubs defeated the Washington Nationals 9-8.(Photo by Tony Quinn/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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CINCINNATI, OH – SEPTEMBER 24: Dustin Pedroia #15 of the Boston Red Sox takes an at bat during the game against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park on September 24, 2017 in Cincinnati, Ohio. Boston defeated Cincinnati 5-4. (Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images)
CINCINNATI, OH – SEPTEMBER 24: Dustin Pedroia #15 of the Boston Red Sox takes an at bat during the game against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park on September 24, 2017 in Cincinnati, Ohio. Boston defeated Cincinnati 5-4. (Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images) /

Braves at Red Sox

Braves Probable Starter – Julio Teheran, RHP

4.17 ERA, 1.24 WHIP and 21.0 strikeout rate

Vs LHH – .213 average, .323 wOBA, 47.8 fly ball rate and 40.6 hard contact rate

Vs RHH – .222 average, .317 wOBA, 42.5 fly ball rate and 28.4 hard contact rate

I really want zero to do with Teheran tonight in Boston. I haven’t been able to figure out how he’s been mostly effective this year. Not only do his metrics look weak, his velocity is down across the board. The fly ball rate is going to bite him in this matchup as the Red Sox can hit for power. If Dustin Pedroia is back in the lineup close to the top of the order, I’d be fine playing him. Other than that, I think it’s pretty much the usual suspects for Boston tonight. I wouldn’t blame you if you wanted to stack them up either.

Red Sox Hitters to Target 

Elite Options – Mookie Betts, J.D. Martinez, Andrew Benintendi

Secondary Options -Dustin Pedroia, Mitch Moreland

Red Sox Probable Starter – Eduardo Rodriguez, LHP

4.13 ERA, 1.25 WHIP and 28.2 strikeout rate

Vs LHH – .107 average, .258 wOBA, 58.3 fly ball rate and 33.3 hard contact rate

Vs RHH – .258 average, .309 wOBA, 42.7 fly ball rate and 29.9 hard contact rate

Rodriguez is a talented lefty and he’s seen some success against bad matchups. He’s pitched well in Yankee Stadium and against the Orioles in Boston. Maybe he does it again tonight but I won’t get on board with pitching a lefty against Atlanta. They’re too good against lefties to dive in. I likely won’t be as heavy on the Atlanta lineup as I usually would be. Ozzie Albies is usually my go-to player against a lefty but I’m not really willing to spend $4,600 on him on this slate. Ditto for Freddie Freeman and the only hitter that I’d really chase at the price point is Kurt Suzuki. I think the  outcomes of this side of game are really wide.

Braves Hitters to Target 

Elite Options – Kurt Suzuki

Secondary Options -Ronald Acuna, Ozzie Albies, Dansby Swanson, Freddie Freeman

Home Run Pick – Dustin Pedroia

CHICAGO, IL – APRIL 10: Denard Span #2 of the Tampa Bay Rays bats during a game against the Chicago White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field on April 10, 2018 in Chicago, Illinois. The Rays won 6-5. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
CHICAGO, IL – APRIL 10: Denard Span #2 of the Tampa Bay Rays bats during a game against the Chicago White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field on April 10, 2018 in Chicago, Illinois. The Rays won 6-5. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /

Orioles at Rays

Orioles Probable Starter – TBA

Neither team is being very cooperative when it comes to breaking the game down based off a starting pitcher. Baltimore might throw David Hess for his third career start. The results from his first two haven’t been good at all. Denard Span stands out because lefty hitters have seen a higher amount of success in the limited sample size. He’s coming off a big game last night and could be in line for another one. Brad Miller is also on the radar as Hess has given up a fly ball rate of over 50 percent.

Rays Hitters to Target 

Elite Options – Wilson Ramos, Denard Span

Secondary Options – Matt Duffy, C.J. Cron

Rays Probable Starter – Sergio Romo, RHP

I’m not dealing with splits here because Romo isn’t going to last long in this one. Tampa is going to continue to use him as a starter in name only with an inning or two and then dip further into the bullpen. These can be hard games to breakdown because you run a higher risk of facing a tough matchup earlier in the game. For instance, if you played a hitter like Pedro Alvarez against Romo because Romo is a righty, you’re only going to get one at-bat. Then, Tampa could bring in a lefty to help neutralize the Big Bull. Stick with the best hitters here or just don’t bother on this size of a slate.

Orioles Hitters to Target 

Elite Options – Manny Machado, Adam Jones

Secondary Options – Mark Trumbo, Trey Mancini

Home Run Pick – Wilson Ramos